Why Uar Barnard Can Still Be Signed By Another Team This Year Even With International Player Designation

While the Philadelphia Eagles didn't fear losing Uar Bernard through waivers, they certainly could lose Bernard at any point during the season.

As long as Bernard remains on the practice squad, that is.

Bernard passed through waivers and signed to the Eagles' practice squad -- along with 14 other players -- after the waiver deadline passed. The Eagles placed the international player exemption on Bernard back in May, allowing Philadelphia to create an extra practice squad spot for Bernard.

With the international player exemption, the Eagles can have 17 practice squad spots instead of 1the maximum 16 allowed by the NFL. That's all the international player exemption is under the current NFL rules.

The international player exemption does not protect Bernard from getting claimed by another team. The Eagles could still lose Bernard at any time this season.

International player exemption rules have no protection

Even though the Eagles have placed the international player exemption on Bernard, they can't protect him from another team signing him to their active roster. Any NFL team can sign Bernard to their active roster from another team's practice squad, but can not sign Bernard to their practice squad.

The only way Bernard can leave the Eagles is if another team decides to add him to their 53. The international player exemption can't protect him.

So why have the international player exemption in the first place?

This is just to create an extra practice squad spot -- an advantage for teams to have an designated international player. The Eagles can develop an international player while using an established player for one of their original 16 practice squad spots.

The Eagles reportedly signed running back Jaydon Blue and offensive tackle Kiran Amegadjie to their practice squad, one of those moves may not have been possible without the international player exemption they used on Bernard.

Philadelphia has filled 15 spots on its practice squad. Thanks to the international player exemption they used on Bernard, they have two spots to fill instead of one. There is an advantage with having a 17-man practice squad over 16.

Joshua Weru also has the same rules as other practice squad players

Weru is also an international player, but the Eagles didn't give him the international player designation. Teams can only use one international player designation, and that went to Bernard.

So Weru falls under the other 16 players on the practice squad. He can sign to another teams' 53-man roster at any point this season, if a team wants to add him. This is no different than when Patrick Johnson was on the Eagles' practice squad a few years ago and the New York Giants signed him to their active roster during the season. Johnson eventually ended up back with the Eagles one year later.

Will any team claim Weru or Bernard? Highly unlikely, as both players have a lot of developing to do in their rookie season. Neither player are in a position to help out a 53-man roster this season.

This isn't a Jordan Mailata situation, where the Eagles kept Mailata on their 53-man roster than later stashed him on injured reserve. Different scenario.

"I think sometimes we forget Uar has never played organized sports before. It's a different bar," said Eagles general manager Howir Roseman. "I think if we're just judging everyone through the lens of Jordan Mailata, it's going to be hard to give these guys a fair chance.

"From our perspective, development is real. These guys have tremendous ability to be developed. They want to be developed. They have tools in their body, they've got great character, but it's new to them."

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